93.9 - The Continental Favorite

[Jim Thomas]

Possibly, this could be a fun little thread. You are invited to share.

I have 93.9 OPEN as a dx frequency, which many seem to have open around the country. It quite possibly is the Continental Favorite. I typically use 93.9 for eskip dxing. Living in the Mountain West, tropo is not very common. However, once we move into August and September, we have what you might call a tropo season, when Summer is starting to make its transition to Autumn.

So here goes. I've posted my most often TrS visitors here in Colorado on 93.9, which are clips from the past few days. I'm still trying to grab solid clips on KRTN Raton NM, never logged @ 252 miles; KTAK Riverton WY @ 237 miles, which has been very fussy to receive lately but heard often; and KUSZ Laramie WY @ 80 miles, heard only once, have not been showing up lately and only 800 watts. In addition to the below, those would be my tropo *regulars*.

The clips...
93.9 KKMK Rapid City SD @ 270 miles (100kw)
93.9 KSWN McCook NE @ 214 miles (50kw)
93.9 KYSL Frisco CO @ 80 miles (560 watts)
93.9 KZRD Dodge City KS @ 294 miles (100kw)

If you want to *play* the 93.9 game and share your favorite or unusual 93.9 catches, go right ahead. They don't have to be tropo catches - Eskip or MS is fine - but that's my idea. When I get anymore 93.9 tropo clips, I'll be posting them right here.

[cd637299]

Well, I'm ruled out here, seeing as I live near Miami.

That being said, my first (out of only two) MS catches on FM was when my local 93.9 was off for maintenance. It was KOYN TX.

We had a whopper of a Tr session down here in early July 1992 (beginning w/ Puerto Rico 88.1 & 98.5 one evening, ZNS ch 13 Nassau on TV also which is quite rare)....I believe I got WMTM GA u/ my local.

Also around 2005, again my local was accidentally off during an Es session. Got Calor 93 in Mexico, which Randy (a big 93.9 fan in his own right) veried for me.

Today, my 93.9 is WMIA-FM, a rhythmic AC, and they are advertising all over town on billboards. Not my cup o' tea, but whatever floats yer boat.

cd

[pjdyer]

Have at it (updated thru Jan 2009) http://www.qsl.net/wa5iyx/FM_0939.TXT
The usual tropo pests there are KMXR and KCRN, with KBNU to a lesser extent.

73, Pat - WA5IYX

[KW4RZ]

This is my best and most DXed frequency. WMTM Moultrie, GA at 177 miles E-NE is the worst pest, usually always there. Followed by WQSI Union Sprs., AL and WRXW Pearl, MS 228 mi.
I've logged 88 stations on this freq. to date.

I keep a tally of total times logged, by mode and have best audio clips attached. Sorted by distance from my QTH.

http://www.geocities.com/kw4rz/93-9_DX.htm


Jim, That clip you have of KZRD ... That ID, is she saying "blood sucking radio station" or something else?

[cd637299]

WQSI moved again? That's at least their 3rd frequency. I heard them on a road trip near U Springs in 1977....kinda eclectic pop then. (100.1 I think they were on then)

cd

[KW4RZ]

WQSI was on 94.1 until late 2005. They not only changed freq to 93.9 then, but also moved the transmitter site and increased power. Dorked up 93.9 somewhat although they are a minimal pest compared to WMTM.

[K4NBF]

93.9 is a decent DX frequency in Middle Tennessee, even moreso to the south of Nashville.

WKTG Madisonville, KY "Power Rock 93-9 KTG" (128 miles 35kw) is by far the biggest pest, and commonly fades in even without tropo enhancement. WSEK Burnside, KY "K-93 Country" (139 miles 50kw) is also common but is usually smothered by WKTG.

Looking at the spreadsheets before I moved here I just assumed WAYA Decatur, TN "Tennessee 93-9" (97 miles 16.5kw) would be my major pest, but apparently rough terrain allows it to sneak through only occasionally (I think), not long enough for an ID yet, so WAYA remains unlogged.

Since moving here in early July I've logged 9 stations on 93.9, 2 via tropo, 1 via Ms, and 6 via Es.

Attached is WKTG's ID, and a recent Ms ID on KMXR Corpus Christi / North Florida

Edit: That's what I hear on the KZRD clip as well "are you going to (?) this blood-sucking radio station or just leave me in suspense?"